Surgical-needle holder



SURGICAL NEEDLE HOLDER Filed Feb. 20. 1928 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 12 1929.,

1,704,992 T' orrrcE.

ST. ELMO SANDERS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SURGICAL-NEEDLE HOLDER.

l Application filed February 20, 1928. Serial No. 255,99. 4

My invention relates topincers and more particularly to surgical. needle holders, the

principal objects of the invention being to effectively retain needles of different terms and diameters and release the same trom the retaining means, without unduestramon the needle or the device, and with a minimum of eifort by the operator.

In accomplishingthese and other ob ects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompany ng drawings,wherein: 1 .7 J Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my lmproved needle holder in open position. b

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the jaws of a holder embodying my improvements.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the holder in closed position. v v v Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of a holder n open pos tion and a needle on theseat of the lower jaw. I a I Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the device in needle holding position;

Fig.6 isa plan view similar to thatof Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower jaw member of the Cl6VlCE.,

Referring in detail to the drawings:

cooperating members of pincers, pliers .or

lniving linger loops 1 and I One moi'nber,

' illustrated as member 1, is preferably provided with an elongated slot 3 in an enlan ed pivotal portion 7 to receive the similarly enlarged but transversely reduced portion 8 of the other memberto provide relatively extensive bearing areas to absorb lateral or twistin strains, the structure comprising a boxloclc The pivot portions are provided with mating shoulders, such as 9 and 10. Jaw 11 of the member 1, which may be called the lower jaw of the holder, comprises a. body portion 12 having a hori- Zontal or flat and relatively broad face 13, and an upstanding nose 14 having a truncated fiat-faced tip 15 and a vertical inner wall 16 extending in a. straight line transversely of the jaw. The meeting angle of the face 13 and wall 16 preferably comprises a right angular needle seat 17, and the wall and tip The opposite jaw 19, on the member 2, comexcept for stopping ment by the held needle, or other parts of low recess is permittec '1 and 2 designate relatively long handled face meeting in a common edge 18.

prises an arcuate and narrow body 20 and a rearwardly downwardly the lower edge 22 of the able infla recess 23 formed the body por tion 12 of. the lower jaw; The nose comprises a taper and preferably convexly curved lower portion 24, adapted for protapering nose 21, nose beingreccivw gressively closer approach to the needle seat upon pivoting oi the members, and being formed on a radius substantially greater thanthe height of the right angular needle seat.

jaws is such "that the lower port-ion 24 of the needle seat, while the upper portion 25 of said nose would engage the edge 18 of the lower nose upon operation of the holder,

of the pivot ng movethe members.

, The lower edge 22 of the upper nose coinprises a common edge for the convex face of the lower portion 241 and the concave under face 26 of the jaw wherebythe seating and engagement of a needle in the holder is facilitated and the provision of animperforate lower jaw havinga relativelyshal- The recess 23' may, extend into the needle seat wherebyspaced' and aligned seat elementsdesignated 2? and 28, 7, may be produced. 7 4 lvlean's for engaging the memliiers 1 and 2 in needle holding position comprise a hook 29 adjacent the finger-engaging loop of The relation between the parts of the two one member, and ratchets 30,31 and32 on s the opposite nuanber.,lhe ratchet teeth have under faces extending substantially at "ight angles to theplane-ot 'l1l1Ql1'lGI1'lb0lS v1 .'.-d 2 and, thehook; isio'rmedon an acute. e whereby lateral pressure of thetin gersholding the loops mayrelease the hook from a ratchet tooth, the relatively long and resilient handles facilitating the engagement and disengagement In operating the device, tioned on the seat of the lower jaw, resting longitudinally against the transverse face of the jaw nose, the straight transverse edge 18 of the lower jaw serving the senses of sight and touch for positioning the needle and assuring the proper fixing thereof. The opposite jaw member is moved into contact with the needle, the lower portion 24 of the a needle is posi upper jaw nose constituting the needle-engaging element. The relation between the cam face and the lower jaw provides that the continuation of the pivoting causes the upper nose to exert its greatest influence downwardly while also exerting end thrust toadjust the needle to its seat. The nose edge may pass the seat and enter the recess of the lower jaw when a small needle is held.

The device is, therefore, adapted for securely holding needles of different diameter and form, and for conveniently and securely grasping the differently formed and sized portions of a needle. The body portion of a needle is slightly bent into the recess under the pressure of the upper nose; and the recess receives the curve of a curved needle whereby spaced scat elements support spacedportions of the needle and danger of breakage upon closing or releasing the jaws is obviated. The means for locking the handles enables the user to release the jaws with slight effort and without appreciable strain on the needle held. The long and resilient handles provide the spring element for enforcing the engagement of the latching members, the ratchets and book being so placed that the handles must be tensioned to bring the hook and handles into engagement. Attention is called to the fact that pressure upon the handles will not alone disengage the locking means.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i x

1. A needle holder including a jaw member having a vertical nose provided with a flat faced tip having a transverse straight edge, and an opposite jaw member having a rearwardly tapering face, the jaws being movable towards intersection of the face bythe edge. 7 i

2. In a' device of the character described, pivotally connected members having mating jaws, the jaw of one member having an upstanding nose provided with a vertical inner wall, the jaw of the other member having a cam-faced nose provided with a transverse lower edge movable when adjacentthe wall of the first-named nose and an upper portion engageable with said! first named nose upon pivoting of the members.

v3. A needle holder including pivoting jaws, one having spaced needle seats, a nose receiving recess and a fixed upstanding needle retaining nose, and the other having a taper nose movabletowards engagement with the needle seat and having a lower edge receivable in said recess.

4. In a needle holder, pivoted upper and lower jaws, the lower jaw having a horizon tal face provided witha recess, and a vertical nose provided with a rearwardlyfacing plane surface parallel with the pivotal axis and meeting the horizontal 'face in a right angle to provide a needle seat, the upper jaw having a tapering nose provided with a shaped lower portion movable past the nose of the lower jaw and with a shaped upper portion movable towards engagement with the nose of the lower jaw upon pivoting of the jaws.

5. A' needle holder comprising pivoted upper and lower jaws, the lower jaw having a horizontal face provided with a recess and a vertical nose having a transverse straight upper edge, the upper jawhaving a nose provided with a shaped lower portion spaced from the vertical nose of the lower aw 1n closed position and w1th a shaped upper portion movable in a path intersecting the straight upper edge OLE the nose oi the lower jaw upon pivoting of the jaws;

6. A needle holder comprising pivoted members having relatively elastic handles and jaws provided with longitudinally oil?- set noses, one nose having a cam face'provided with a portion movable in a path spaced from the other nose and a portion movable in a path intersecting said other nose, ratchet on one member having substantially horizontal faces and ahook on the other member whereby horizontal lateral pressure will release the hook from the ratchet.

7. A needle holder including mating jaws, one having spaced needle seats, a nose receiv' ingrecess spacing said seats and an llpstz ling nose, and the other having a taper nose receivable in said recess.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

ST. ELMO'SANDERS.

and locking means comprising a- 

